


All This Time

by rabbitchasingthebear



Category: More Than Friends - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:22:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27669491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rabbitchasingthebear/pseuds/rabbitchasingthebear
Summary: Throughout the years, Yang Seokhyung found himself deeply in love with a childhood friend, Kim Younghee.
Relationships: Yang Seok Hyung/Kim Young Hee
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	All This Time

Yang Seokhyung, an assistant professor at Yulje Hospital, closed the door of his friend slash colleague’s office door, Chae Songhwa. Him and a few other close friends (Kim Junwan and Ahn Jeongwon, to be precise) just spent their dinner in her office. This was something that usually would happen when they all had to stay longer in the hospital for emergencies, scheduled surgeries, or just simply worried about leaving their patients for the night. 

“Yang Seokhyung!” Songhwa called his name as soon as he was a few feet away from her office. He was getting ready to leave for the night because just like any other people who work, he needs to get ready for tomorrow. “Ikjun just called. He said a girl Kim Younghee was looking for you. Go to the emergency room.” She said as she peeked through the door. 

He stood frozen in the spot where he was standing and Songhwa raised a brow at his unusual response before waving her hand dismissively at him.

“Go.” She said which snapped him back to reality. He could only nod in response as he was bewildered by the fact that Younghee was in the hospital.

Kim Younghee _hated_ hospitals.

Seokhyung did not waste any more seconds and rushed to the emergency ward. His pair of crocs squeaking through the hallway as he anxiously ran to the nearest elevator. Endless thoughts ran through his head. 

_Was it her who got sick?_

_Was it her brother?_

_Her mom?_

_Was she in an accident?_

As soon as the elevator door opened, he saw her. Standing all alone on the side, watching incoming patients and staffs moving busily in the emergency wad. She was a few feet from the elevator because she wanted to make sure that she doesn't miss Seokhyung. She was too scared to be left alone, especially in this kind of situation. With the emergency sirens from the ambulances near the entrance and the blaring hospital codes that were echoing throughout, she was almost close to having a panic attack.

From his quick observation, he realized that she must have just gotten out of work. She was still wearing her blouse and a pair of slacks which were here usual work attire. That could only mean one thing, whatever this emergency was, it did not happen on her watch.

“ _Oppa_!” She cried as soon as she turned around to face the elevator. Her shoulders felt heavy, as they always did. But this time, she did not show any signs of trying to hide it. She ran to him, throwing her body to his arms as she hugged him tightly. 

Seokhyung’s eyes widened at the suddenness of it, nonetheless he rubbed her back gently. Her small body was trembling and he could feel it. But he could also feel the stares that were being shot to him by Ikjun and Kwanghyeon. It was very rare to see him with a girl that they did not know and being hugged on top of that. 

There were some people in his life that he would rather be kept private and she was definitely one of them.

“M-my mom… she fainted.” She sobbed her head tilting upwards to look at him. “That guy said she has cancer. Please tell me they’re wrong.” She pointed at their direction and as much as he wanted to tell her that they were wrong, he knew the chances were slim. They were too good at their crafts to make mistakes like this one.

“Please.” She begged, as if she was hoping that if she told him, the cancer would disappear. 

“Younghee, calm down. We’re going to get through this, okay?” He held her cheeks on his palms as he wiped the tears with the pad of his thumbs. This was the third time he has ever seen her cry and each time, his heart ached.

“Let’s go. Hmm?” The soothing tone of his voice somewhat calmed the storm inside of her and she finally let him out of her grasp. She did not realize just how tightly she was holding onto him until she heard him deeply inhale some air.

To her, Seokhyung was an anchor. Unbeknownst to her childhood friends, she had another friend whom she was just as close. If not closer. He was someone she does not hesitate to ask for help when things get tough and out of control; maybe that because he was ten years older than her.

When she was entering her twenties, he was entering his thirties.

As she is now entering her thirties, he too, is entering his forties.

There was too much gap in experience and Younghee always felt he was mature enough to listen to her situations when her friends do not. Not even Hyunjae, her boyfriend. She does not know why it was always hard for her to ask him for anything.

“Please talk to them. Nothing is processing in my head right now.” She confessed weakly and Seokhyung held her hand, squeezing her fingers firmly with his. Letting her know that it is fine. That he will be with her.

“What happened?” He asked Ikjun and Kwanghyeon who were standing next to the scans that they took. Ikjun wasted no seconds to show him the mass on her stomach. 

“It’s stage 3. We need to take it out as soon as possible.” Ikjun suggested to which Kwanghyeon agreed to. “I still need to look at this some more if we can even resolve this with _just_ a surgery. She might need chemotherapy.”

The words surgery and chemotherapy terrified Younghee. What if her mother goes through the same fate as her father did? But her thoughts stopped when Dr. Bong spoke to her.

“Ms. Kim, when your mother wakes up in a few hours, you can take her home if you want. Or we can admit her now. Either way, we would need you to schedule her for surgery.”

Younghee looked at Seokhyung, like a beaten up puppy who needed to be saved. Seokhyung tenderly patted the back of her head and showed her a reassuring smile.

“Admit her to the VIP ward, Dr. Bong.” Younghee was about to disagree and Seokhyung immediately shut it down. 

“I will handle it. Just go with Dr. Bong and admit your mom.” He squeezed her hand once again, letting her know that he would not listen to what she has to say regarding the matter. He especially would not take her excuse that it would be too expensive for them. Not when her mother's life was at stake.

“I’ll do the best that I can with your mother, Ms. Kim.” Ikjun said and Seokhyung knew that as a fact, that Ikjun always tried his best.

“O-okay.” She muttered and Dr. Bong motioned her to follow him.

“Take care of her, Dr. Bong.” Seokhyung added as his eyes lingered a little longer on their disappearing figures that were headed to the Nurse’s station.

“It looked pretty bad.” Seokhyung said to Ikjun when it was just the two of them. Ikjun sighed as he crossed his arms. “It’s in the third stage, I wonder why she did not get it removed. I got her records from the hospital she visited and she has known about it for a while.”

Seokhyung looked down at her mother’s sleeping figure and let out a deep breath. He knew exactly why she did not tell Younghee about her condition. It was probably about the cost of the operation… but he knew that just like how Younghee did not like being a burden to anyone, her mother was the same way.

“I’ll go back to my office now,” Ikjun gently squeezed Seokhyung’s shoulder and pursed his lips into a tight line before walking away.

Just what kind of tricks did life want to throw at her family? It was bad enough already that her father died at such a young age and made Younghee the breadwinner of the family. Now this?

Seokhyung quietly sat down on the chair next to her mother’s bed and fixed her blanket. Mrs. Kim looked gaunt, her cheeks were hollowed and the bags under her eyes were noticeable. She looked even worse than the last time he saw her which was over a year ago. 

“Seokhyung _oppa_.”

Seokhyung immediately stood up from the chair as soon as he heard her weak voice. He ushered her to sit down and Younghee did not even argue and just did what she was told. It seemed like the adrenaline rush that she felt earlier just disappeared and now she could barely keep her legs straight.

Drained. She felt drained.

She looked at her mom and curled her fingers on the side of the blanket. The memories of her father being in the hospital bed started flashing in her mind. She must have released all the tears that her body could produce earlier when no tears formed in her eyes anymore. Her eyes were just hurting at the sight of her mother. 

“Kim Younghee, look at me,” and she did. Her gaze went up to look at him and Seokhyung brushed his fingers through her hair. He did not know why his fingers tried to fix the strands of her hair, but he did. To him, she was always someone who will always need taking care of. It took a lot of trials and errors to figure out what kind of care she needed that would not end up with her getting angry at him for overstepping his line. Making her feel like a burden to him.

But that was something he learned already after years of knowing her. 

He caressed her head softly just like he did before when he saw her crying next to her father’s hospital bed. 

“You have to be strong right now, okay?” As much as he wanted to say it was going to be okay. He knew better not to. Younghee did not like empty promises and she made that clear when she confessed to him that it hurts even more when everyone she knew was telling her that her father was going to be okay.

“How much stronger do I have to be?” She asked, her voice breaking as she said the word “I” and he did not know how to respond. If only he could share half the burden she was carrying. Then the answer came when her younger brother entered the door.

“At least for him.”

“ _Noona_!” Chulsoo ran towards her direction, his eyes were wide open as he tried to process what was happening in front of him. Even though Chulsoo was entering his rebellious phase, as Younghee liked to call it, she knew just how traumatized he was with the death of their father.

“ _Noona,_ is she going to be okay? Is she?” Questions after questions were bombarded towards Younghee.

“Chulsoo.” Seokhyung called his name and grabbed his arm gently. It was only then Chulsoo realized that his sister was also not in the right state of mind.

“ _Hyung…_ ” Seokhyung wrapped his arm around Chulsoo’s shoulder. The little boy has grown up so much that he would probably catch up to him and his sister in terms of height.

“Is she going to be okay?” He asked as his gaze dropped from Seokhyung to his mother then to his sister who had her back hunched as she continued to hold onto the blanket.

“She’s going to be taken care of, Chulsoo. I will make sure of that, okay?” He stated reassuringly and he cleared his throat when another figure showed up in their spot.

“Hyunjae- _ssi._ ” He greeted and gave him a polite bow to which Hyunjae returned.

“ _Hyung._ ” Then his attention dropped to Younghee who felt isolated. Isolated because she wanted to isolate herself from her surroundings. The only thing she has been looking at since Chulsoo got in was her mother.

“Chulsoo, let’s get you some food in the cafeteria.” Seokhyung squeezed his shoulder. The least he could do was give Hyunjae and Younghee the privacy they probably needed. He led Chulsoo to the elevator and went inside, pressing the floor level where their cafeteria was at.

Then from the gaps of the door, he saw Hyunjae hugging Younghee’s frail body.

Ten years. For ten years, Hyunjae and Younghee have been dating. 

For more than ten years, all he found was himself unable to fall in love with someone else other than her.

“Thank you, _hyung_.” Chulsoo stated, his eyes remained fixed on his sister and Hyunjae. “She probably felt so alone earlier.”

  
  



End file.
